Default `containerd` version installed by `install-containerd-runtime.ps1` causes container system `PATH` errors.

[fdcastel]

Describe the bug

Following the official documentation, the script installs containerd v1.6.6 when using default parameters.

Unfortunately this version contains a serious bug that was fixed only in v1.6.26 (and v1.7.11).

The bug causes the container system PATH to be set as Linux folders (!?), causing havoc to the most basic of applications.

Even powershell image fails (due to not finding pwsh.exe in system PATH):

PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:lts-nanoserver-ltsc2022
time="2025-10-31T00:25:00-07:00" level=fatal msg="hcs::System::CreateProcess 110f1e446ebb96c96f76a7626c439279f633212fb069ed0c8b0e33cf1c488216: The system cannot find the file specified.: unknown"

PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:lts-nanoserver-ltsc2022 pwsh
time="2025-10-31T00:25:02-07:00" level=fatal msg="hcs::System::CreateProcess c2a5c8c369c02944e79bffde84555f9570275568eaa24a997b72a00abe6d6262: The system cannot find the file specified.: unknown"

PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:lts-nanoserver-ltsc2022 "C:\Program Files\PowerShell\pwsh.exe"

PowerShell 7.2.19
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.

https://aka.ms/powershell
Type 'help' to get help.

PS C:\Windows\System32> $env:PATH
Error reading or writing history file 'Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadLine\ConsoleHost_history.txt': Access to the path 'C:\Windows\system32\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadLine' is denied.
ưmC:\Program Files\PowerShell;/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin

To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

• On a Hyper-V VM, with a clean Windows Server 2022 install
• Run the installer script with no additional command line parameters:

  Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/Windows-Containers/Main/helpful_tools/Install-ContainerdRuntime/install-containerd-runtime.ps1" -o install-containerd-runtime.ps1
  .\install-containerd-runtime.ps1
  

• Start any Windows container image

  & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2022
  # or
  & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2022
  

• Check the container system PATH:

  Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.20348.4297]
  (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
  
  C:\Windows\system32>echo %PATH%
  /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
  

Expected behavior

Containers system PATH set as expected for a Windows environment.

Configuration:

• Edition: Windows Server 2022
• Base Image being used: Windows Server Core / Windows Nano Core
• Container engine: containerd
• Container Engine version: 1.6.6

PS C:\> Get-ComputerInfo -Property OSName, OSVersion, WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion

OsName                                 OsVersion  WindowsProductName           WindowsVersion
------                                 ---------  ------------------           --------------
Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Standard 10.0.20348 Windows Server 2022 Standard 2009

PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\containerd\bin\ctr.exe' version
Client:
  Version:  v1.6.6
  Revision: 10c12954828e7c7c9b6e0ea9b0c02b01407d3ae1
  Go version: go1.17.11

Server:
  Version:  v1.6.6
  Revision: 10c12954828e7c7c9b6e0ea9b0c02b01407d3ae1
  UUID: 4195684b-ac60-4d65-bf98-bf8b57fb62d0

PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' version
Client:
 Version:       v0.21.0
 OS/Arch:       windows/amd64
 Git commit:    9ddf5226eabcbb7b4b43987f3b0f8d53d86d3bca

Server:
 containerd:
  Version:      v1.6.6
  GitCommit:    10c12954828e7c7c9b6e0ea9b0c02b01407d3ae1

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[fjs4]

Hi @fdcastel,

Thanks for the report. Out of curiosity, you noted that this is fixed in later versions of containerD. Are you not able to move forward to one of those newer versions?

Thanks, Erick

[fdcastel]

I’ve resolved the issue by using the newer versions.

This report is simply to highlight that the script should be updated.